• Health Policy and Management
• /
• v.18 no.2
• /
• pp.1-18
• /
• 2008

As medical insurance had been implemented for Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) from January 1, 2005, this study investigated whether there had been any change in the amount of the medical care utilization of patients who undertook MRI before and after the insurance coverage, and was to examine factors affecting the amount of medical care utilization of MRI. Data were collected from patients who undertook MRI before and after the insurance coverage for a year at a general hospital in Kyeanggi-do. $X^2$ and t-test were used for the analysis of their general characteristics, the number of MRI, and its medical costs before and after the insurance coverage, and hierarchical multiple regression analysis for the factors affecting the amount of the medical care utilization of MRI. The results of this study were as follows. First, the number of MRI after the insurance coverage was significantly decreased. Second, there was no significant difference in the total medical costs of MRI after the insurance coverage, but a significant difference was found in patient's share of medical costs. Third, six variables were found to be affecting the amount of the medical care utilization of MRI, and the variables showed to lead the number of MRI decrease after the insurance coverage. These six factors explained 21.4% of the total number of MRI. As MRI had been covered by insurance, the use of MRI and patient's share of the costs were deceased, but the total medical costs were not affected. Reasons for that could be found in that MRI insurance, different from the case of CT insurance coverage, was allowed not to cover some items and the kinds of diseases subjected to the insurance coverage were extremely limited, lowering insurance prescription rate. In addition to that, the average medical cost of MRI was not changed after the insurance coverage. Therefore, as future measures for the MRI insurance, coverage, it should be considered to allow insurance coverage to no coverage items and to expand the scope of benefit coverage, or to lower patient's share of the costs. Furthermore, researches should be done to explore how recipients will act and how suppliers will react if the coverage is expanded, including expanding the scope of coverage and reducing patient's share of the costs, as well as to conduct research on its economic analysis according to case mix.

• Journal of Korean society of Dental Hygiene
• /
• v.20 no.5
• /
• pp.611-621
• /
• 2020

Objectives: This study aimed to verify the impact of dental health care insurance coverage policy by analyzing the changes in dental care utilization and expenditures over 5 years from 2012 to 2016, when the dental health insurance coverage expansion policy was implemented. From the national cohort data collected by the Korea Health Panel Survey, a retrospective study was conducted for all household members using dental services. Methods: This study statistically verified the difference in the dependent variables by frequency analysis, chi-square test, t-test, and one-way analysis of variance (SPSS version 22, IBM Co. USA, p<0.05). Results: The annual utilization rate steadily increased from 23.4% to 26.1% between 2012 and 2016. Although there were differences in utilization rates by gender, age, and income level, patients kept using the dental services in 2016 regardless of the type of health insurance. The average annual copayment for patient expenditures (out-of-pocket amount) increased from ￦463,844 to ￦537,401 in 2012 and 2016, respectively. Of the dental care expenditures over 5 years, the ratio of uninsured expenses by the elderly decreased from 38.5% to 25.9%, and the national health insurance service coverage increased from 40.3% to 49.1%. Conclusions: Although this policy did not reduce overall patient expenditures, it has been found that there was a positive effect on the elderly and low-income groups; it increased the utilization and access to dental services.

• The Korean Journal of Health Service Management
• /
• v.12 no.3
• /
• pp.13-26
• /
• 2018

Objectives: This study investigated how Korean daily newspapers frame the present government's health insurance coverage expansion policy, Moon Jae-in Care. Methods: A contents analysis was conducted to construct news frames represented in the four Korean daily newspapers' editorials and columns on Moon Jae-in Care during from April 2017 to April 2018. News text was classified into three different layers of frames: expressive element, narrative structure, and implied values. Results: The analysis revealed that the frequency of narrative frames was as follows: health system improvement (20.8%), public burden (14.6%), opposition by doctors (14.6%), and populism (12.5%). The financial sustainability accounted for 41.7% of the value frame, followed by procedural legitimation (18.8%), and coverage expansion (16.7%). The results also revealed that reported frames were different among newspapers: Chosun Ilbo tended to report in a negative tone, while Hankyoreh shinmun and Kyunghyang shinmun used a positive tone. Conclusions: This finding suggests that there are salient framings in reports on Moon Jae-in Care. Based on the results, the government needs to present a detailed financing plan on Moon Jae-in Care in detail. I discussed another implication of media frames results.

• Journal of Korean society of Dental Hygiene
• /
• v.16 no.2
• /
• pp.195-204
• /
• 2016

Objectives: The purpose of the study is to investigate the knowledge, attitude, and recognition of health insurance coverage in tooth implant among Korean adults. Methods: A self-reported questionnaire was completed by 420 adults over 20 years lod in Seoul and Gyeonggido from October 1 to December 15, 2014. The questionnaire consisted of general characteristics of the subjects, knowledge, attitude, and recognition of health insurance coverage in tooth implant. Results: The mean of knowledge of regular checkup after implant was 3.05 points, and mean of advantage and disadvantage of implant was 3.03 points. The expectation for the implant treatment was 4.18 points and this was the highest score. There was no significant difference between the knowledge and attitude in age and monthly compensation(p>0.05). Only 45.6% of the adults were aware of the health insurance coverage of tooth implant since July, 2014. Health Insurance meeds to be modified in the beneficiaries age(44.6%), and cost(32.7%). The positive aspects of implant care included medical expenses(37.8%), health care beneficiary(29.1%), and oral health promotion(20.9%). Conclusions: Health insurance coverage of tooth implant is very important to enhance the quality of life in the adults because the proper management and implementation of the health insurance in implant will improve the oral health care in life.

• Health Policy and Management
• /
• v.27 no.3
• /
• pp.256-266
• /
• 2017

Background: Primary health care (PHC) plays a major role to ensure the basic right and equal distribution of the essential health care services. This study presents comparative analyses of PHC in Korea and Uzbekistan, discusses the existing scenario and the challenges, and provides recommendations. Methods: This study reviewed secondary data from Korea's National Statistical Information Service and the State Committee of the Republic of Uzbekistan on Statistic, regulatory legislation, research reports, and policy papers by research and international institutions. We focus on comparing input and outcome health data, PHC structure, and health expenditure. Results: Overall health status of the population in Korea is better than in Uzbekistan; both countries achieved more than 95% immunization coverage. The reforms implemented in both countries provide initial health care service delivery. However, there are several challenges such as the distribution of the staff between urban and rural areas and interest of the graduates on specialization rather than working in PHC system. Conclusion: PHC plays an important role in the provision of medical services to the population, addressing both health and social problems; it is the best tool for achieving universal coverage for basic health needs of the population. The community health practitioners in Korea and nurses in Uzbekistan plays main role in universal coverage through providing essential health care services. Continuous reform of the PHC system should be directed to strengthen the capacity of the PHC staff in health promotion knowledge and activities as well as to encourage population to improve their own health.

• Health Policy and Management
• /
• v.30 no.3
• /
• pp.326-334
• /
• 2020

Background: Korea has gradually expanded the coverage of medical care services in its national health insurance system. On April 1, 2018, it implemented a policy that expanded the coverage for an ultrasonography in the upper abdomen. In this study, we aimed to investigate the effect of the policy on the utilization of the ultrasonography in the upper abdomen in tertiary care hospitals. Methods: Using the dataset of the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service, we explored changes in the utilization of the ultrasonography in the upper abdomen in tertiary care hospitals from July 1, 2017 to November 30, 2018 through the difference-in-difference (DID) mixed-effects-model method. Facility factor, equipment factor and personnel factors, type of hospital, the total amount of medical care expenses, and geographic region were considered as control variables. Results: On average, the utilization of the ultrasonography in the upper abdomen increased by 228% after the coverage expansion policy. However, the results of DID mixed-effects-model method analysis showed that the utilization increased by 73%. As for the number of beds, the utilization was higher with a group of 844-930, 931-1,217, and 1,218 or greater compared with a group of 843 or fewer, while the utilization of the number of ultrasonic devices was lower with a group of 45-49 compared with a group of 44 or fewer. The utilization decreased with the number of interns and the number of nurse assistants. Besides, relative to Seoul, the utilization was lower in the other metro-cities and provinces. Conclusion: The coverage expansion policy in the national health insurance system increased service utilization among people. Future research needs to investigate the degree to which such coverage expansion policy reduces the unmet medical care needs among the deprived in Korea.

• Health Policy and Management
• /
• v.20 no.3
• /
• pp.104-122
• /
• 2010

Long-term care insurance has been introduced in Korea a year ago, and we are in a stage requiring to set principles regarding the generosity of coverage and how to gradually extend the coverage. This study empirically analyzes how the long-term care insurance in Korea is operated. Special attention is given to who is the main beneficiary of the long-term care insurance introduction, and what is the factors influencing the elderly's decision to apply for or use long-term care services. Use of a detailed information of individuals' public health insurance and long-term care insurance from administration data made it possible to control for health status, socioeconomic status including family type, housing tenure, income level. Logit models were employed to analyze the effects of various socioeconomic factors on the likelihood of applying and using long-term care services. Also, this study employed a survey questioning whether to ever willing to take other option as a alternative to residential care or home-care and the level of cash benefit for which they are willing to replace the formal care with informal care. The result indicated that although the poorest elderly population groups are in the greatest need for the long-term care service, they are in difficulty using the service due to economic burden. This implies the copayment amount needs to be adjusted in order for the poor elderly group to be able to get the benefit of the long-term care service.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
• /
• v.51 no.4
• /
• pp.339-342
• /
• 2008

The Korean Health Insurance (KHI) has been introduced since 1977 and it took only 12 years that KHI had accomplished the total coverage of Korean population. The remarkable success of KHI can be compared with other OECD countries which had taken some 30 years to over 100 years to establish the total coverage of the population. Life expectancy at birth and the infant mortality rate in Korea in 2005 both surpassed the average figures of the OECD countries, The main reason for the success of KHI can be delineated with the three characteristics in KHI development; low premiums, low benefits, and low fee-schedule charges. However, these three characteristics of KHI, which had been the key for the rapid development of the system, have become terrible disadvantages for the stable development of KHI. The dissatisfaction and discontent of health care providers are ever increasing. The population is reluctant to pay more premiums though it seems essential for the better care coverage. The health care system has been heavily distorted toward high technology-oriented expensive care. There should be several factors seriously tackled for the secure development of KHI in the future. This paper will review a brief history of KHI development, and I would like to make a suggestion of health insurance for children.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
• /
• v.24 no.3 s.35
• /
• pp.265-278
• /
• 1991

This study was to examine the effects of insurance coverage on the utilization of public health institutions and to identify the factors associated with the utilization. The data were obtained from household interview surveys conducted twice in Hwachun Gun, Kangwon Do. The time period covered in the first survey was December $17{\sim}31$, 1987, before the implementation of regional medical insurance for the self-employed, and that of the second survey was January 28 $\sim$ Febuary 11, 1990, after its implementation. Major findings emerged from the analysis can be summarized as follows (1) Medical care utilization of rural people markedly increased after they were covered by medical insurance. The insurance coverage increased the utilization of public health institutions as well, and this increase was mainly attributable to the utilization by chronically ill patients. (2) Between 1987 and 1990, the proportion of the utilization of public health institutions over whole medical care utilization decreased. But the proportion increased for chronically ill patients covered by regional medical insurance during the same time span. (3) The results of logistic regression suggested that the rural self-employed utilized public health institutions at an increased rate after they were covered by medical insurance. It was also indicated that the increase resulted from the utilization by chronically ill patients. (4) The relative importance of public health institutions for rural medical care decreased after the implementation of regional medical insurance. But considering that the utilization of public health institutions by chronically ill patients increased after insurance coverage, attention should be directed to improving the capability of public health institutions to control chronic degenerative diseases.

• Journal of Society of Preventive Korean Medicine
• /
• v.19 no.3
• /
• pp.57-66
• /
• 2015

Objective : Private health insurance coverage in Korean medicine has been reduced since October 2009 for preventing unnecessary utilization. The aim of this study is to identify how private health insurance coverage reduction affects on the Korean medicine utilization. Method : We analyzed the Korea Health Panel data from 2008 to 2012. Panel negative binominal regression model was used to analyze the relationship between private health insurance coverage reduction and utilization of outpatient service. Panel tobit regression analysis was used to identify the relationship between private health insurance coverage reduction and health expenditure of outpatient service. Results : Private health insurance coverage reduction significantly dropped both utilization and health expenditure of outpatient service by 9%, 9.22% respectively. In addition, therapeutic utilization significantly decreased up to 10%. Conclusion : Private health insurance coverage reduction seems to have an effect to reduce both utilization and the health expenditure of Korean medicine outpatient service. This effect was more noticeable in the therapeutic utilization. Thus, more elaborate policy will be needed to prevent unnecessary utilization of Korean medicine.